President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov sent greetings to the participants of the sport games “Universaide-2013”.

“Sincerely, from the bottom of my heart do I congratulate you – the representatives of the younger generation of our nation, who are set to start an independent life with huge hopes and aspirations – on today’s unforgettable event in the life of Uzbekistan’s youth: the official commencement of the Universiade-2013 Games!” – Uzbek President Islam Karimov said.

“That this festival of youth, beauty and sports draws the attention of all fans of sports, the millions of young men and women and our entire nation, and the decision to hold this festival in the sacred land of the ancient and eternally young Bukhara affords the current occasion a deep meaning and a special, elevated mood,” he stated.

“The very fact that on the way to these prominent competitions, dubbed the Minor Olympics, you have made remarkable achievements on the sports arenas and eventually made it to the finals of the Universiade-2013 – the highest tier of the sports games organized in our country – by displaying goal-mindedness, vigor and resolution, along with attaining knowledge in higher education institutions, is an indisputably clear indication of the big success every one of you has made in the sport he and she chose,” Uzbek leader said.

He said: “Those who have undergone the tough path of making such high accomplishments that have demanded from everyone the mobilization of all their abilities, the manifestation of robust willpower and character, courage and skill, without any doubt know well the price of their achievements.”

“That 1,020 young men and women have made into the finals of this Universiade, out of the nearly 138 thousand students who had taken part in the qualifying competitions, is suggestive of the keen scale and the intensity of competition at this contest,” he said.

“All the necessary conditions were created across our country for this Universiade to be prepared at a high organizational level, an event held for the sixth time already. Notably, in Bukhara alone, dozens of sports palaces and complexes have been erected, a considerable amount of works has been carried out in the construction, reconstruction and beautification, with around 93.5 billion soums spent for these purposes. If we take into account these circumstances, the immense significance attached by our state and society to these sports games held every three years would be even more obvious,” President underlined.

“I believe it will hardly be difficult to understand that all this is undertaken primarily to further such great goals as nurturing our children physically sound, spiritually mature, and comprehensively sophisticated personalities willing and capable of competing on equal footing with their fellows from advanced nations. In a word, we have been making our every effort to secure our model as a truly reliable foundation for our people, for the native Uzbekistan, and as a decisive force on our way toward the ends we are heading to,” Uzbek President stated.

“Supported wholeheartedly by our entire people, the gracious slogan “We are second to no one and will never be so!” gives spiritual strength and confidence in our future and urges every one of us to live with love for our marvelous and exceptional Motherland, to admire and take pride in Uzbekistan,” Uzbek head said.

“As you know well, it was these very Universiade games that served as the so-called take-off runway for such winners and prize holders of the most prestigious international competitions as Rishod Sobirov, Abbos Atoev, Rustam Kasimjanov, Akgul Amanmuradova, Svetlana Radzivil, Sevara Kadirova, Denis Istomin, Saida Iskanderova, Vadim Menkov, Dilshod Mansurov, who are the pride of the Uzbek sports today. We wish you all to become followers and successors of these renowned masters of sports and raise the flag of the native Uzbekistan just as high in the world sports arenas in the future,” Uzbek President Islam Karimov noted.

“I feel convinced that the Universiade-2013 contests will be held in an atmosphere of integrity, audacity and mutual respect, characteristic to our people, and that the spirit of our great ancestors, who made the ancient Bukhara legendary for the whole world, will undoubtedly afford you new valor and energy.

“I will take this opportunity to express sincere gratitude on behalf of myself and our entire nation to the builders and engineers, public and social and sponsor organizations, the hardworking and hospitable people of Bukhara, and all those who have constructed such beautiful and modern sports facilities for us,” he said.

The opening ceremony of “Universaide-2013” was held at the central stadium Bukhara.

Rishod Sobirov and Husniyabonu Gulyamova received honour to lightening the Games cauldron of the Games.

The opening ceremony was completed with the great concert programme.

Some 968 students (643 boys and 325 girls) were selected in the regional stages and they received chance to participate at the “Universiade 2013” sports competitions. Athletes represent Tashkent city, Republic of Karakalpakistan and other regions of Uzbekistan.

They will compete on 12 sports : football, basketball, handball, wrestling, the belt wrestling, duo-do, table tennis, tennis, swimming, track and field athletics and chess.

The sports competitions will be hold in 8 sports halls and sports complexes: Bukhara State university, Bukhara technology- engineering Institute, Bukhara Olympic stocks college, Khumo tennis court, the central play station of Bukhara, Semurg swimming pool, Dilkusho tennis court and Bukhara oil-gas college.